Sleeping Through the Ages: A Blog Series The Beginning

Whether becoming a parent for the very first time or welcoming another little one into the world, the beginning stages of a child’s life can be filled with uncertainty and confusion for even the most seasoned parent. And when it comes to sleep habits, our baby’s lack of predictability can be most frustrating and energy depleting. Knowing what to expect during these early stages, though, can help shape our expectations of child sleep. By preparing our minds, we are better able to emotionally cope and get critical support tools in place to make it through this very happy but, often times, tiring moment.

What to Expect in The Beginning

Day and Night Confusion

In the beginning, our babies experience day and night confusion, lacking any sort of sleep patterns. This means they sleep on and off around the clock lacking predictability and consistency. Rest assured, this day and night confusion begins to clear itself around 6-8 weeks of age.

Wake Period

From the beginning, newborn – Month 4, our babies will show sleepy cues about every 45 minutes to 1 hour. This wake period lengthens over time as our babies grow and develop to sustain themselves for longer periods, reaching about 1.5 hours by the time they are 3 months of age.

Nighttime Sleep Cycles Develop

Around 6-8 weeks of age, nighttime sleep rhythms begin to fall into place. At this point, night sleep should lengthen slightly, giving tired parents a bit more rest as their babies log longer durations of sleep during the nighttime.

Purple Crying Period

In the beginning, around 6-8 weeks of age, many babies experience a peak of fussiness referred to as the “Purple Crying Period”. This can be a tiring time for parents as their babies grow persistently fussy in the early evening hours but rest assured this too shall pass.

How to Prepare in The Beginning

Create a Safe and Consistent Sleep Space

Follow the ABCs of safe sleep by placing your baby ALONE, on their BACK, and in a CRIB fitted with a firm mattress and fitted sheet only. Discard loose items like blankets, pillows, toys, bumpers, and other unnecessary items that pose risk to baby. In the beginning, sleep your baby in a consistent sleep space they will associate with rest and learn to love for years to come.

Develop a Consistent Soothing Routine

Your child’s bedtime routine is one that will follow them in the beginning and for many years ahead. Keep your bedtime routine to 30 minutes or less and use a condensed version of that routine for naps. Follow the same set of steps each time to provide your child with consistency they can rely on. This routine will serve as a cue that bedtime is coming, triggering their little bodies to release that delicious sleepy hormone, melatonin, that will aid in a restful nights sleep.

Provide a Comfortable Sleep Space

Make your baby’s sleep space dark, cool, and quiet. Use blackout blinds to darken the room. Creating a dark space during nap time and nighttime will aid in setting your baby’s sleepy clock. Set the temperature to 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce likelihood of overheating and use a white noise machine to mask unwanted noises outside or inside the home.

Follow Sleepy Cues

Because your baby’s sleep patterns do not fall into place in the beginning weeks of life it is critical that parents follow sleepy cues to guide their choices on when to provide their baby with the rest they call for. Take this time to learn the signals your baby sends to you when they are tired. These are likely the non-verbal ways your child will show their sleepiness for years to come. Knowing your child’s sleepy cues arms you with the power of avoiding the overtired state which helps to squash sleep symptoms like bedtime battles, night waking’s, and early risings.

Use an Early Bedtime

When nighttime sleep rhythms fall into place, shift to an early bedtime to fall in alignment with your baby’s natural sleep waves.

Drowsy but Awake

While it is too early to begin using more structured methods of sleep training in the beginning stages of life, use the drowsy but awake tool to encourage self-soothing practices. Doing so will help pave the way towards an independent and happy sleeper.

While sleep may be unpredictable in the beginning stage of life, there are absolutely ways to guide your little one down a path towards healthy sleep habits. And while your sleep may be scarce as your baby’s sleep cycles slowly develop in the early months, your joy and happiness will be ever abundant!